System Restore Major Problem

hi all
hopefully this is the right section for this problem.

i have a lenovo ideapad
i have an image of the system.
i went use the one key recovery feature (restore system to previous image)
i followed instructions, chose the image from my external drive, it started, then it said it couldnt find the file.
i was like, ok, wtf. it gave me the option to reboot or shutoff the unit. i rebooted.
it gives me a black screen that says insert windows installation disk and restart computer or if i dont have the disk to contact the system administrator.
there is no disk and no system administrator.

what can i do?
i have done the restore before with no problem, so its not a matter of having done something wrong. this image used may not have been used before however, it may have been a newer image .

thanks in advance for any assistance

 

1. exact model of IdeaPad - there are too many for us to guess what you have.
2. Program used to create the image?
3.

What key is that? Sometimes these recovery features expect to find an image internally.

 

hi, sorry, Z560
program to create the image was the lenovo 'one key recovery'. its software that allows you to create backups, restore to backups, etc.
it gives you an option to browse for the image, which i did.

 

i happen to have my work laptop here.
is there a way i can create an installation disc (or recovery disc i guess)using my work laptop somehow and use that disc (or USB) on my problem laptop??

 

both my work laptop and the problem laptop are running windows 7 if it matters

 

You can make a disk from the working Win 7 laptop that will work on the other non-working laptop.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows7/ht/system-repair-disc-windows-7.htm

 

hi, thanks
yeah, i already created a repair disc, tried it out, didnt help.
then i created a windows ISO file and created a bootable USB.
managed to get windows running, but it wanted the product key (obviously). so the product key sticker was worn away mostly (its 6 years old), so couldnt read all the characters.
called lenovo this morning with the serial number for the unit hoping to get the product key. guy says the product key is also embedded on the motherboard, which im not sure i believed. regardless, he told me there is also a physical one key recovery button somewhere on the laptop, probably next to the power button. i had seen the button before but never knew what it was for. its one of those tiny buttons you need a paperclip or something to press it.
i plugged in my extrernal drive with the unit off, hit the one key recovery button and chose the same image that somehow screwed everything up before, and this time it worked fine.
all better now.
funny thing is though my wife and i were talking about getting a new laptop before this happened, and i may get a new one anyway.
this recovery feature is terrific. do most laptops these days have similar?

thanks again

 

I'm glad it's working.

I really don't know. My last purchase was in 2014 and was an Android tablet. I don't buy very often. My husband and I are senior citizens with no children, hence no grandchildren so the old netbooks and desktops running Win 7 work fine for our modest needs.